How to Relieve Plantar Fasciitis

If you’ve ever experienced that excruciating pain on the bottom of your foot, ya know, that one that’s especially really bad upon waking up when you take your very first steps to the bathroom, then you’re well aware of how debilitating plantar fasciitis can be.

Point blank: It sucks. The good news? Totally treatable.

When you experience that sharp pain on the bottom of the foot, it’s due to the plantar fascia, the tissue which connects the heel bone to the toes, becoming inflamed.

There are several reasons why you may experience plantar fasciitis but the most common reasons are:

Your sneakers have little support

You have a tight Achilles’ tendon

You are flat footed or have a high arch

Your walking gait is off

Overuse injury usually involving a high impact sport

If you do any regular exercise that involves explosive plyometrics or any repetitive motion (like running), you will most likely need to stop the activity for a couple weeks to allow the inflammation to subside.

The tell-tale sign you have plantar fasciitis is if you’re experiencing a sharp stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot, usually on or around the heel. The pain is worse with first steps in the morning.

So you have this annoying injury and can’t exercise- I know, it sucks. But if you make the necessary adjustments and give your body time to heal, the inflammation should subside.

From my own experience with the injury as well as working with clients who also suffered from it, I’ve found these five tips to be very helpful in the healing process.

1. Stretch the arch of the foot by putting it into Dorsi flexion

One of my favorite tools to use is this sleep sock you can get on amazon which forces you to stay in this ideal position the entire night.

2. ICE the bottom of the foot and avoid any exercise that might have caused the inflammation

This is not to say you need to stop doing it forever but for right now, stop.

3. Stretch and roll the calf everyday!

4. Roll the bottom of the foot with a ball

5. Get rid of any shoes with no support

If none of these things help the pain or improve the condition in two weeks, consider making an appointment to see a physical therapist.

You may also have to buy insoles for your shoes but see your doctor first before spending the money. They may have some valuable insight on your particular case!!

If you are someone who is suffering from this injury or any other injury understand that you don’t need to suffer alone. There’s an awesome new app called “Ouchie” which acts as a mobile companion for its users to help manage pain. Ouchie offers its users a community of people suffering from the same injury as you as well as doctors, physical therapists and trainers like me!

Check out the Ouchie App let me know how you relieve plantar fasciitis pain in the comments below!